Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 17 Feb 1999

Vol. 500 No. 5

Written Answers. - Pension Provisions.

Bernard J. Durkan

Ceist:

144 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the reason increases in pensions are not paid until six months after budget announcements particularly in relation to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare. [4599/99]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

The person concerned is currently in receipt of a reduced rate old age contributory pension of £80.80 per week, together with an additional £5 over-80 allowance, a £6 living alone allowance and a £5 fuel allowance – giving an overall weekly payment of £96.80. In line with the increases announced in the recent budget, the pension payable to the person in question will be increased by £5.80, 7.2 per cent, with effect from 4 June 1999.

The recent budget provided the biggest ever social welfare budget allocation, amounting to over £305 million on a full year basis. Of this allocation, the cost of the various increases in weekly social welfare payments, including FIS improvements, comes to almost £206 million on a full year basis, or almost £4 million per week. Accordingly, the cost of bringing forward the budget increases from the beginning of June to, say, the beginning of April, 1999 would amount to almost £32 million.

The question of the level of social welfare increases to be provided, together with the effective dates of those increases, are matters to be decided in a budgetary context having regard to the available resources and in the light of the Government's other priorities.